UPDATE - South Caucasus has potential to become region of peace, stability, prosperity: Turkish foreign minister

ADDS REMARKS FROM FOREIGN MINISTER

By Dilara Hamit, Gizem Nisa Cebi, Emre Basaran

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that the South Caucasus has the potential to become a region of peace, stability, and prosperity.

At a joint press conference following the 9th Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Baku, Fidan expressed gratitude for the hospitality in the Azerbaijani capital and emphasized the importance of the three-nation mechanism in addressing shared interests and concerns.

Fidan and his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili attended the meeting hosted by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

The trilateral meeting mechanism aimed to promote regional stability, peace, and prosperity.

Fidan highlighted the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have a negative impact on transportation and supply chains, as well as the humanitarian and economic costs of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Concerning Israel's intensified attacks on Palestinians, the Turkish foreign minister said, "The ongoing massacre in Gaza continues to expose the weaknesses of the international system."

Fidan also expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for an immediate cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid in. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of a two-state solution for lasting peace in the region and reiterated Türkiye's commitment to enhanced cooperation through trilateral and bilateral relations.

He mentioned regional developments, such as Azerbaijan regaining territorial integrity after 30 years of occupation and Georgia becoming an EU candidate.

During the meeting, he emphasized the need to improve cooperation and understand the new situation in the region, saying, "There is a real opportunity ahead to transform the South Caucasus into an area of peace, stability, and shared prosperity."

Fidan also discussed a three-country agreement to strengthen Türkiye's successful cooperation in energy and connectivity with Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as measures to advance these efforts.

He emphasized the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line's full operational capacity, as well as the Black Sea's strategic importance in regional security, economy, energy, and transportation.

Fidan underlined the spirit of cooperation between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in multilateral economic platforms, citing the notable example of 2023.

He commended Türkiye's significant support to Azerbaijan and Georgia during its presidency of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) and reaffirmed Ankara’s readiness to assist in various areas.

He congratulated Azerbaijan on hosting the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, stressing the importance of ensuring lasting peace in the South Caucasus for global security and connectivity.

Later, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said on X that the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia "have signed the Baku Declaration on the outcomes of the 9th Trilateral Meeting."

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov remarked that by ending the occupation of Karabakh, the country laid the groundwork for regional peace and stability.

"Azerbaijan consistently demonstrates political will and supports intensive direct negotiations and expects to sign a peace treaty with Armenia as soon as possible," Bayramov said.

He underscored that the three countries are currently engaged in fruitful "regional economic collaboration, with significant regional and global economic projects."

Bayramov also highlighted that these projects are crucial for "fostering trade connections between the East and the West."

"President Ilham Aliyev attaches special importance to Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye regional cooperation," he said.

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, for his part, said he shared details about "Georgia's EU membership with both nations" during the meeting.

He emphasized that the collaborative projects between the three countries would strengthen their relationship.

During the trilateral meeting, they reiterated the "significance and durability" of their partnership, he said, adding, "I would like to emphasize that this format is one of the most effective and successful mechanisms of regional cooperation. This platform, particularly in light of current global and regional challenges, allows us to stay informed about the needs of the region."

- Azerbaijan ‘rising star’

Fidan described Azerbaijan as "a rising star in the Caucasus" and said Türkiye is proudly watching the country in terms of its growth rate and the economic stability it brings to the region.

Stating that Azerbaijan has started to play a very important role in the Caucasus in recent years, Fidan said it has become a center for regional diplomacy and regional projects.

He stated that Türkiye works with Azerbaijan on many issues such as economy, railway and energy projects.

Fidan emphasized that Azerbaijan has an important role in Europe's energy security and noted that Europe is seeking to get closer and establish better relations with Azerbaijan on the issue.

- Problems may arise if security concerns neglected

Stating that the European security architecture is now included in the EU form, Fidan explained that the EU and NATO have an increasingly overlapping agenda.

“There is no light on the horizon for us to become a member of the EU, but we are a member of NATO. Almost all members of the EU are members of NATO. In other words, the EU has a dominant position within NATO. Countries like Türkiye, Norway and Canada are not members of the EU but members of NATO and we have our own legitimate security concerns. If the priorities of the EU become too dominant on NATO's agenda and security, and if our concerns are neglected, that creates a bit of a problem," he said.

Fidan stated that the issues drew the attention of Türkiye’s allies in Europe and North America and said he thought one of the most important problems in NATO and the European security architecture was how to combine the security interests of the EU with NATO.

Stating that now there is an impression that the two organizations have become almost equivalent, Fidan said, "There is not even a debate on this issue, but in reality, NATO has a different interpretation and control mechanism and the American military contributes to them and lead them to a large extent."

Fidan stated Türkiye follows these developments closely and they bring up those issues and express concerns at ministerial-level meetings, leaders' summits and technical-level meetings.

He also stated that Türkiye is in good dialogue with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and other key NATO partners.

- ‘PKK/YPG is supported by some NATO countries’

Fidan said the PKK and its Syrian wing, YPG, get support from some NATO countries.

"First, if you look at Türkiye's physical security and territorial integrity, there is a great threat on the other side of our borders. The PKK in Iraq and its extension in Syria, the YPG, are supported, strengthened and assigned duties by some NATO countries. The US is doing this openly and several other NATO countries also assist it.”

Referring to the second issue, Fidan noted that as a member of NATO, Türkiye is exposed to a number of restrictions and defense industry restrictions announced and undisclosed by some NATO countries and that Ankara opened this issue to discussion.

Fidan stated that Türkiye also discussed the security of the Black Sea and pointed out the importance of preventing the Black Sea from becoming increasingly militarized.

- Türkiye’s role in grain deal

Pointing out that the militarization of the Black Sea after the Russia-Ukraine War created major problems, Fidan said the interruption of grain shipments, especially from Ukraine, negatively affected the whole world, especially the Global South and some African countries.

He also mentioned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s role in achieving the grain deal, which was beneficial for global food security.

"We achieved this, but it took some time," he said. "We are now working on a similar arrangement with the UN and partner countries. I really hope and pray that we can reach an agreement."

The top diplomat further stated this time it may not be called the Black Sea grain deal, and that the most important issue is the export of grain and other goods from the Black Sea and to ensure that the Black Sea serves commercial purposes for the entire region.

Fidan described it as "a big plus" that weapons of mass destruction were not used in the Russian-Ukraine war.

"But how long can we have this luxury? What will happen if there is a wider escalation?" he said, urging an end to hostilities.

The minister also underlined that Türkiye pays great attention to what kind of risks and alternative scenarios may occur and stated that Ankara discussed the issue in a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.

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- Libyan crisis

Fidan also stated that the conflict in Libya is another important issue on Türkiye’s agenda.

Stating that Ankara’s most important priority in Libya is not to see a renewed conflict, Fidan said, "This is our number one priority. For this reason, our presence, contacts and work always focus on the priority of not seeing another conflict."

Emphasizing that Türkiye cannot allow the country to remain divided into East and West in Libya, or to unite unilaterally in favor of one of the actors, Fidan said Türkiye is in line with the legitimate government in the West, but they are also developing relations with the East.

Fidan explained that Ankara has normalized relations with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region in recent years, and used the normalizations to make a positive contribution to Libya.

Stating that they have now come together with those countries, Fidan said Ankara discussed what it can do to contribute to the establishment of peace in Libya and the unification of the country.